Dental trap

Abstract

A dental trap is provided for use in a mouth cavity of a patient during a dental procedure. The dental trap may separate the patient's mouth cavity from the patient's throat to prevent an extracted tooth and/or a dental tool, such as a screw, in the mouth cavity from falling into the throat. The dental trap may also allow the patient to breathe through the dental trap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dental trap for use in a patient, the patient having a mouth cavity in communication with a throat, the dental trap comprising:
 an inner body having an anterior surface that faces outward from the mouth cavity of the patient and a posterior surface that faces inward toward the throat of the patient; and   an outer rim around the inner body, the outer rim being sized and shaped to mate with the patient inside the mouth cavity to separate the mouth cavity of the patient from the throat of the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The dental trap of  claim 1 , wherein the anterior surface of the inner body is concave. 
     
     
         3 . The dental trap of  claim 1 , wherein the inner body defines a plurality of breathing apertures between the anterior surface and the posterior surface. 
     
     
         4 . The dental trap of  claim 1 , wherein the outer rim is constructed of a flexible material. 
     
     
         5 . The dental trap of  claim 4 , wherein the outer rim is constructed of foam. 
     
     
         6 . The dental trap of  claim 1 , wherein the outer rim is one of circular and elliptical in shape. 
     
     
         7 . The dental trap of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one stopper that projects anteriorly from the dental trap to extend out of the mouth cavity of the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The dental trap of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one stopper is hook-shaped to hook around the patient outside of the mouth cavity. 
     
     
         9 . A dental trap for use in a patient, the patient having a mouth cavity with teeth and a throat, the dental trap comprising:
 a generally elliptical or circular body that is sized and shaped to fit inside the mouth cavity of the patient at a location behind teeth of the patient and in front of the throat of the patient, the body having an anterior surface that faces outward from the mouth cavity of the patient and a posterior surface that faces inward toward the throat of the patient.   
     
     
         10 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , wherein the body defines a plurality of breathing apertures between the anterior surface and the posterior surface. 
     
     
         11 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , wherein the body includes an inner portion and an outer rim surrounding the inner portion. 
     
     
         12 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , wherein the inner portion of the body includes a plurality of interwoven strands that cooperate to define breathing apertures. 
     
     
         13 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , further comprising a first stopper located on a right side of the body and a second stopper located on a left side of the body, the first and second stoppers projecting at least one of anteriorly and laterally from the body. 
     
     
         14 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , wherein the body is rigid. 
     
     
         15 . The dental trap of  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the body is flexible. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing a dental procedure on a patient, the patient having a mouth cavity with teeth and a throat, the method comprising the step of:
 placing a dental trap inside the mouth cavity of the patient to separate the mouth cavity of the patient from the throat of the patient, the dental trap including an inner body and an outer rim around the inner body.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the placing step comprises placing the dental trap behind the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the mouth cavity of the patient is bounded superiorly by a hard palate region and a soft palate region and inferiorly by a tongue, the method further comprising the step of sealing the dental trap superiorly against one of the hard palate region and the soft palate region and inferiorly against the tongue of the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of changing the shape of the dental trap to conform to an inner contour of the mouth cavity of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of abutting at least one stopper against the patient, the at least one stopper extending outward from the outer rim of the dental trap.